Cotes CR240 Lightweight dehumidifier tested

The Cotes CR240 Lightweight is a commercial unit which Cotes’ distributor Humidity Solutions assures me places it on another level. I was keen to see what the CR240 had to offer. 

Product Overview

Pros:

  • suits a larger boat with space to mount this in an engine or facilities bay, permanent fitment for use alongside other fitted equipment, such as heaters and air conditioning.

Cons:

  • the heat is lost outside of the boat, not very practical for impermanent fitting, though this is possible.

Product:

Cotes CR240 Lightweight dehumidifier tested
TAGS:

Cotes CR240 Lightweight

Specifications
Type: Desiccant, dimensions 333 x 363 x 400mm, continuous drain facility only, weight 18kg, power consumption 1005W, drying capacity 19.2l/day, noise level 59dB

Cotes units employ premium components, are European made and purchasers enjoy a system-design service, full parts support and technical assistance should any issues arise. Moreover, as a product intended to be used continuously over the long term without operator interference (the CR240 was originally designed for use in offshore wind turbines) Cotes dehumidifiers have been subjected to a rigorous testing regime and feature built-in overheat protection safeguards. With customers including Formula 1 teams, satellite manufacturers and Middle Eastern royals (who use them to keep their art collections dry) 

From the moment its box is opened, the Cotes CR240 shouts quality – its rugged enclosure looks and feels the part and its no-nonsense controls are solid and simple to use. As these units were envisaged as permanent fixtures they don’t have water collection containers. Instead, the damp output air is directed via a flexible hose to a fixed vent, similar to a kitchen extractor, or – as in my case – an attachment designed to be trapped in a window or door frame. While I had reservations about this, I was assured that even if there is a minute air gap as a result of the attachment being jammed into a frame, the CR240 is more than powerful enough to overcome any detrimental effect in terms of damp air ingress.

While the CR240 can be used with an external hygrostat, which switches the unit off when an RH of 50% is achieved. I opted to run this test unit flat out for 24-hours in a measured enclosure on a damp day where at the start point the RH was registering 77% and the temperature 11.5°C. Over the course of my trial the unit proved its dehumidifying capabilities – on a day which started damp but turned to dry cold, by the halfway point it had succeeded in reducing the RH to 65%, a value it maintained for the remainder of the trial. However, the external vent served to expel all heat produced by the unit’s desiccant dryer, meaning the enclosure’s ambient temperature dropped from a daytime high of 13.1°C down to 5.2°C overnight. The external vent also meant I wasunable to capture the extracted water, but from our temperature and RH data Coates calculated it had drawn out a shade over 4-litres over the course of our 24-hour trial.

Verdict: Rugged, durable and comparatively pricey, the Cotes CR240 presents a viable option as a permanent addition to a boat. While the window attachment arguably limits temporary-use applications (it’s too large for a regular-sized porthole) fixing its vent in a companionway hatch, sliding window, or patio or wheelhouse door is a workable possibility. Shame the heat generated is lost, though.

Humidity Solutions